Blame it All
by Adventures
Summary: Donnie questions everything he's been told. Takes place during the theater scene. Slight Frank x Donnie.


Another Frank x Donnie romance.

What do you expect from me? I hate Gretchen with a passion!

Well, she was a cool character, actually. I just hate her relationship with Donnie. I hate that it's because Donnie loved Gretchen that he shot Frank. I dunno. I know it_ had_ to happen in order for everyone to be able to bring the jet engine into the primary universe again, but whatever. I still hate her.

This fanfiction takes place during and after the theater scene.

Song used: _A Rush of Blood to the Head_ by Coldplay (I'm really starting to like this band. I never thought I would, either! It's weird!)

Disclaimer: I don't own _Donnie Darko_, any of its characters, or the song _A Rush of Blood to the Head._

**Blame it all**

_He said I'm gonna buy this place and burn it down  
I'm gonna put it six feet underground  
He said I'm gonna buy this place and watch it fall  
Stand here beside me baby in the crumbling walls_

Donnie was sitting in the theater almost alone, Gretchen sleeping, Frank looming beside him, but neither were really watching the movie. Donnie knew he was there, but was afraid to look at him, afraid to see what horrible mask he had. Without a glance over, Donnie faked a laugh. "Why are you wearing that_ stupid_ bunny suit?"

_"Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?"_

He didn't want to see it anymore. "Take it off."

Would he be disfigured?

Would he be a monster?

Was that bunny head his _real_ head?

Frank said nothing and hesitated a moment, but took off the demonic costume without question. Donnie brushed a bit of hair from Gretchen's face before looking over. His eyes wanted to widen with surprise, but Donnie wanted to keep his dignity and stay cool.

Just another boy. Maybe nineteen years old. Perfect face.

Except for his right eye, which appeared to be mutilated beyond repair.

"What happened to your eye?" Donnie asked him, knowing Frank wouldn't answer. He never did.

"I'm so sorry," Frank whispered. He appeared to be looking at Gretchen as he spoke the words, and somehow Donnie could sense what would happen in the future. He couldn't grasp exactly what he was feeling, but he knew that Frank was going to do something bad. Maybe he was going to hurt Donnie? He didn't know, but whatever he did, Donnie made a mental note to forgive him.

"Why do they call you Frank?" Donnie was bombarding him with more questions, but Frank seemed to be letting his guard down at this moment, and Donnie wanted to get in everything he could.

"It is the name of my father," Frank looked sad. "And his father before me."

Why did he look so upset? Was his father dead? Donnie decided not to bring up the subject. "Frank, when is this all going to end?"

"You should know that already." Frank always answered in riddles, didn't he? "_Teachers aren't allowed to teach beyond their curriculum," _Donnie remembered Professor Monnitoff saying that. Frank _was_ sent from the future to warn Donnie…maybe he was only talking like this because he wasn't allowed to answer.

"I want you to look at the movie screen," Frank said, not even looking at him. "There's something I want to show you." Donnie did as he was told, and the screen seemed to be flowing around like liquid. It reminded him of when Frank was manipulating the mirror with his hands.

_Oh I'm gonna buy this place and start a fire  
Stand here until I fill all your hearts desires  
Because I'm gonna buy this place and see it burn  
Do back the things it did to you in return_

"Have you ever seen a portal?"

Donnie knew this wasn't a question Frank wanted answered. In the back of his mind, Donnie could see visions that Frank was showing him. _Jim Cunningham's house._

_"Burn it to the ground."_

Donnie looked at Gretchen a moment_. He had to do something horrible. _Looking at the screen again, a small marquee:_ "The Last Temptation of Christ." _couldn't keep Donnie from a brief chuckle.He stood up to leave, knowing what he had to do, but somehow he wanted to stay and talk to Frank. He didn't seem so evil anymore.He was just like Donnie and Gretchen, wasn't he?

An outcast. Looking for something more. _Something better._

Donnie wanted to say something, but no words came out. Frank never looked at him. He just contentedly sat and watched the movie. Gretchen never moved.

_He said oh I'm gonna buy a gun and start a war  
If you can tell me something worth fighting for  
Oh and I'm gonna buy this place, that's what I said  
Blame it upon a rush of blood to the head_

As Donnie was walking toward Cunningham's house, he remembered the gun. _Why did they lead me to the gun in the closet? _And then he remembered Frank's eye. Like it was shot. _Do I have to shoot him?_ Donnie shook the thought off because he couldn't imagine Frank being anything but helpful. And even if Frank ended up doing something bad, it's not like it would be so horrible Donnie couldn't forgive him, right?

_Gretchen…_

Donnie almost had it. He almost knew what Frank was going to do. It was so close but so far away, like a dream you just woke up from but couldn't grasp.

_And honey  
All the movements you're starting to make  
See me crumble and fall on my face  
And I know the mistakes that I made  
See it all disappear without a trace  
And they call as they beckon you on  
They say start as you mean to go on  
Start as you mean to go on_

Donnie stood, afraid, in front of Jim Cunningham's house. He didn't want to go through with this. He had flooded his school. He has to burn down this house. _Another house. _So many horrible mistakes. Could they possibly lead to him saving the world? _Could burning this house save everyone? _

And what reasons did he have for saving everyone?

Would any of them ever save him in return?

But he did have reasons. Gretchen's face was burned into his mind. That sleeping, peaceful face, with a slight reflection of the movie screen dancing on her skin. And Frank…it was because of him that they met, wasn't it? And Donnie knew it was he that hurt Frank. He had to obey him to redeem himself.

And, oh, how he wanted Frank to open up and talk to him.

Donnie broke into the house, almost in a trance, spilling lighter fluid as he went. All of the things in Cunningham's house just really pissed Donnie off. So much expensive furniture, painted portraits of his _ugly lying face…_

_He said I'm gonna buy this place and see it go  
Stand here beside me baby watch the orange glow  
Some laugh and some just sit and cry  
But you just sit down there and you wonder why _

When Donnie lit the lighter from his pocket, the house lit up instantly and he had to leave quickly to escape the heat. He passed a stack of pictures on his way…pictures of small children. He had no time to stop and look at them, but he could have _sworn_ those children didn't have clothes on. "What the fuck?" _Donnie thought. _

He flung the front door open and just stood there…**_watching the house crumble to nothing. _**He couldn't stop thinking about what Frank said, either. _"I'm so sorry." _Donnie couldn't stop thinking about that, and the fact that he was completely and unexplainably attracted to him. He didn't know why, he didn't know how. _He just was. _

Finally, he walked back to the theater.

No one asked him to show his ticket stub, no one asked where he had been. He just walked back in without question. And to his complete disappointment, Frank was gone.

Donnie sat, the credits rolled.

Gretchen, still mostly asleep, turned over slightly on her side. Donnie remembered the main reason why he was doing it all. _It was for her._ He kissed her forehead gently, and remained seated as the lights went back on.

But still, he wanted to see Frank one more time.

_So meet me by the bridge, meet me by the lane  
When am I going to see that pretty face again?_

_Meet me on the road, meet me where I said  
Blame it all upon  
A rush of blood to the head…_


End file.
